August 21, 2024 • 31 mins
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Intentional Expressions podcast with your host, Peter Carpou. In this episode, Peter shares his profound journey from working with inmates in correctional settings to supporting children in residential care through the transformative power of art.
Listeners will also gain insights into how art serves as a tool for healing and communication, especially for those struggling with verbal expression. This episode answers questions from educators, teenagers, and social workers on using art to explore emotions and support vulnerable populations.
Join us on this enlightening journey as we uncover the beauty of art and its potential to touch lives, heal, and empower individuals across different walks of life.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You're moved by the form, you're
moved by the colors, you're moved by the possibility of the unexpected.
It's very exciting. It can be frightening for some.
But I think that for people who are searching in their lives and feel very alone
in that search, art can be a very interesting healing journey to take.
(00:24):
The coast is clear and the medium is utterly open to whatever it is you want
to give to the surface to express yourself.
That's the beauty of it, is that it is as open as you are.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Intentional Expressions podcast with host
(00:45):
Peter Karpu, helping you rethink, create, and empower through the social impact
of artistic expression.
Today's first episode introduces you, the listener, to Peter,
who's here with us, I'm not Peter, along with a glimpse into the stories,
humor, and insight that is yet to come in future episodes.
My name is James Dykeman, and I will be prompting our discussion today,
(01:07):
and I'd like to introduce Peter
Karpu. So hello, Peter, and thank you for having me here with you today.
Hello, James. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you for starting this podcast.
So let's begin by introducing yourself. And I understand that you have a quote
that you'd like to share to kick off this inaugural first episode of your podcast.
(01:27):
Yes, thank you. I wish to start off with a quote that came about when I was
starting my work as a choice of staying in the Bay Area and at the time working
with inmates in correctional settings,
which was a job for me, but also I was intrigued by how different a job it was
(01:52):
at that time. I didn't know anyone who did that.
And it was a choice over moving back to New York and again, during a gallery that had accepted me.
So it was a very big decision for me to make. but I felt.
Committed to the people with whom I had already started to work with.
(02:17):
And their lives touched me at the outset.
And at the beginning, there was someone that I was, I would call her my mentor.
Her name was Linnell Herrick.
And she had taught art at San Quentin State Prison for 15 years.
And she was in her 60s at the time.
(02:37):
This was over 30 years ago.
So 35 years ago.
And between classes, we were in a parking lot of the prison due to how they do things there.
And she handed me this poem by Thomas Merton. And she said, Peter,
I want you to read this poem.
(02:58):
I think you would like this. And I think it's something that will also be useful for you.
So it was an intriguing thing for her to do that.
And I like to read it now because I think it gets at the heart of what I faced
eventually and what turned out to be my career as an artist and a professional teacher,
(03:23):
but also a child care worker, somebody who worked with young people, children,
also inmates in a male correctional setting.
And the range was broad. So this is a letter to a young activist from Thomas Merton,
who was a renowned monk and a very thoughtful poet, and someone who was also
(03:49):
something of a renegade, given the order that he had committed himself to,
and friend with a lot of the leading thinkers and spiritual leaders of the time.
Do not depend on the hope of results.
When you are doing the sort of work that you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work,
(04:10):
you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and
even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect.
As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on
the results, but on the value, the truth of the work itself.
(04:32):
And there too, a great deal has to be gone through as gradually you struggle
less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people.
The range tends to narrow down, but it gets much more real.
In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.
(04:53):
The big results are not in your hands or mine, but they can suddenly happen
and we can share in them but there is no point in building our lives on this
personal satisfaction which may be denied us and which after all is not that important,
For me, this was in line with, she was a practitioner of Aikido, a second Don.
(05:18):
As old as she was, she was gifted in many areas.
And for me, it took years of thinking about this poem.
I think it has to do with humility and art and thoughtful work with others and
a kind of selflessness that is a practice. this.
(05:39):
It's not something that is void of movement, motion, and interaction with others.
It can be rather all of that.
Tell our listeners a little bit more about your background. I know you just
now mentioned briefly your work
within the correction system and as a professional teacher with the arts.
(06:02):
Could you tell us a little bit more about that? Yes, I started working with
inmates at a correctional setting near Watsonville,
and it was what's considered a minimum security correctional setting where people
were not there for serious, serious crimes,
but they were there for breaking the law and would do their time and would be released.
(06:28):
Or it was for people who were on their way out of the system,
who had already done a great deal of time and were now, by virtue of their conduct,
in a place where they had more privilege, I would say.
Whereas when I transferred to San Quentin at the time, there were no supermax
(06:49):
prisons, so it was a very different situation.
So I had to learn what that was as a Max A level four institution where everyone
in the prison at that time was in for the worst of crimes and murder.
So I had to recognize that, but also search for the humanity in the place that
(07:17):
I could fit in to Emilio and be of some value to the inmates, what I was offering.
And now I was challenged by a guard early on in a jocular way, but it was a challenge.
He asked me why waste time on individuals, many of whom were going to be executed soon.
(07:38):
And my retort was that if they were spending time doing something positive and useful.
That would keep them from doing more harm while inside against someone there.
Isn't that worth it? And it was something of a clever answer,
but it was also true for what could it could have value, not just for the inmates,
(08:05):
but also for the custody staff.
And one had to be mindful of everyone.
Everyone and that's what I became understanding of
is that I was not an advocate for just one
group of people I had to be an advocate for everyone
I had to be in some ways a peacekeeper I suppose although that wasn't my role
(08:26):
but through art I think I was given an opportunity to share the joy I have in
art and the way that it can deflect time through one's own involvement with
one's imagination or appreciation of nature,
as much of it as you can appreciate, that is, given the circumstances.
(08:49):
At the same time, I was working with young children, latency age,
so-called 5 to 12 years old, children who had no homes or their homes were dangerous
places for them because of the conduct of the parents or their inability to
take care of the children for their own personal reasons.
So they were in residential treatment. And I learned how to work with children who had such issues,
(09:17):
but also learned how art could be a part of their lives in a way that they would
enjoy what they were doing.
And I had them printmaking, for example, which was fun for them,
and the next level up from drawing.
And also took them to museums and was involved with them,
(09:39):
enjoying the arts while they were at their placement area, but also taking them
out in the public so they could feel a part of the public.
For those looking for more information on a non-profit organization they can
support, helping kids and families who support them to express themselves through
art, visit www.kidsandart.org.
(10:03):
Kids and Art programs are offered directly to patient families as well as through
care centers and works with professional artists to design art experiences,
tailor projects and workshops to the unique needs and circumstances of children
facing serious illness.
That's also what I wanted the arts to represent was that it wasn't just for
(10:29):
the wealthy or those who had an education of privilege, but that it was for everyone.
And the proof in that is to utilize it.
And the starting place is one's own imagination.
And fortifying that idea and reiterating it through the opportunity to work
(10:51):
doing art was something that was important.
I was also a childcare worker, and I'm proud to say I learned a great deal working
as a childcare worker as well as an artist.
And so it helped me help the program that I was trying to engage the youth with,
(11:11):
but also helped me with the kids in a way that was therapeutic,
because I wanted to be a part of the solution of helping these young children.
Have their lives improve for them, and that also they're actors in their own
improvement, and they're even as young as they were,
that the volition to effort to do better, to live better.
(11:40):
To control one's emotions, and to find balance in life is something we do at a young age.
Without support, though, it's very hard to know what those things are.
And also, I would say that the keystone for my experience was working with adolescents,
(12:00):
which happened downtown San Francisco at a youth center where the youths were
homeless or without a home or having to create their own home environment.
I learned a lot working with those young people who are also young adults and
also living with a great risk on the streets of our cities and and in our towns.
(12:29):
And I felt that it was in this experience, in the totality of these three different milieus.
That I was having an opportunity to find social value in arts also,
that it wasn't a walled-off exercise that was its own thing.
(12:52):
So the pleasure was
mine certainly and my goal was
to have children and young
people and adults recognize that
they could enjoy this as well let's
talk about intentional expressions and i can get a sense from listening to your
(13:12):
background and thank you so much for sharing it sounds like you've done a lot
of really important work with people at a very difficult time in their lives
and giving or being in a position to offer tools to help people express themselves,
even within such struggle, is remarkable.
And so let's talk about, for this podcast, what are intentional expressions
(13:36):
in your words and what can we look forward to in the future as we unpack that
in different ways in future episodes?
Thank you for asking the question. First of all, I think it's a very important
question. And I think in many ways, it will prove to be the heart of what this podcast will be about.
(13:56):
And I think that a way to paraphrase intentional expression is purposeful actions.
Easier to say than do, and also to recognize actions, expressions,
for example, in others, and how to encourage that, how we're encouraged by people
(14:20):
who are thoughtful in speech, as well as acts,
which is an act, speaking is an act, especially with children.
The words have tremendous power and even
when they don't fully understand necessarily what
the words are because they haven't used them in too many contexts
they'll understand by tone
(14:43):
of voice where these words are being used what they're being used for and the
the so that the aspect of it being intentional is that there's a certain amount
of care that's implied also So, again, very important for children.
They have to know that it's a safe thing to do.
(15:04):
But it's also true for adults.
In prison environment, one of the most important things to know is that you
always tell the truth, always.
And you never promise more than you can give. These things don't sound that
troubling for us on the outside, but inside a prison environment or an incarcerated environment,
(15:32):
those two rules to follow will keep you out of trouble and may save your life.
And intentional expressions, we
learn how to deliver them weighted with the proper level and measure so that
we can use this as a counterweight to speaking freely on difficult subjects
(15:58):
or challenging subjects without offending others.
But also how we can say a thing so that it's fairly said and that others can
appreciate it, which is hopefully what part of the calculation is for,
is to treat others, reach others with the hope of truly connecting,
(16:24):
using language to connect.
In fact, intentionality shows the heart of the matter for an individual.
And in some ways, it's felt as much as it is said.
So it's no more intelligence involved than the inclination and the desire to convey those feelings.
(16:52):
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for that introduction to yourself and your
work and the podcast itself.
It's going to be interesting to see how we unpack these different topics while
also learning more about how you've applied them in your professional experience
with those you've worked with.
And for our listeners, as we begin, the intention is that we'll spend each episode
(17:15):
diving into a particular topic in more depth.
And then the second half of that episode will be to answer questions that we've
received in advance from our listeners, from those in the community who want
to learn a little bit more depending on where it is they are in their life or
if they're a teacher or a parent.
And so to begin that for today, we've got some questions prepared in advance
(17:36):
on the topic of intentional expressions.
And the first one that we're going to ask Peter is from a teacher who says,
how can educators encourage students to explore and express their emotions through
art in a way that is both intentional and meaningful? Peter?
That's a good question to ask, James.
(17:58):
It's not an easy question to answer, but it's worthwhile because it's the challenge.
Whatever the topic is, really, for an educator is to encourage the students
to initiate the action of their own thought in the matter of learning something.
(18:18):
You have to be open to learn what it is you're studying.
And in the case of art, I would say studying nature is one outlet that is readily available.
It's why you'll see the classically, you'll see a setup and you'll see an individual
who is in the classic sense.
(18:42):
Standing as a model, for example, or a bowl of fruit.
These are all exercises to study light form, and they're very useful exercises,
and they seem to be not very complicated to understand.
And some may wonder what's the value in it.
(19:03):
Well, you're really looking at something.
You're peeling away all the layers of meaning until you get to the actual seeing
part, which is as free and open as you'll allow it.
And your response is where you get to represent what it is you're looking at.
(19:27):
Not being happy with the results is normal because it's just like learning how to ski at first.
It's not much fun and it's not too pretty. But if you stay with it,
you start to enjoy the process while you're learning how to do something that
ultimately will please you and others.
And also a very wonderful thing happens is that the degree of acuity in your
(19:54):
ability to look at things becomes very, very acute.
And you're seeing things at a deeper level. and
this can also be true in poetry with
language certainly with music with different sounds
it all it all seems to operate with the same principle of attention and again
intentionality with a with the attention and using the tools of the art so if
(20:21):
it's you know however that may be visual art, brushes, pencils,
music, instruments, and so on.
And as a teacher, introducing students to the elements that make the arts available
to the students is paramount.
And how they're incorporated into the milieu of where the students are, however old they are,
(20:49):
and how free they feel to use the instruments and explore their use should be
the point of the class, really.
It's an exercise in discovering the world, pretty much.
And the eyes are one element that we're using. We're also using touch.
(21:09):
We're using all of our senses if we're open to it.
Are you an adult struggling with how to communicate with other adults,
especially when in a conflict scenario? area.
Www.communityboards.org is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization,
(21:30):
one of the longest running in the country, that helps with conflict resolution
and restorative justice training and practice.
So if you're having difficulty getting through a conflict and would like some
assistance, this nonprofit organization is here to help.
Next question we have is from a young person, teenager, who wants to know,
(21:52):
how can I use art as a way to express what I'm feeling, especially when I find
it hard to talk about? What would you say to that young person?
This also is a very important question. It's often the teenage years where you'll
notice that the aspect of children just diving into a bowl of crayons,
(22:14):
it doesn't, that they're much more determined about what it is they want to
do and what will please them.
It's very normal in the development of adolescent years.
Everyone goes through it. And it's good to try to push past the self-indulgent
(22:36):
aspect of grading oneself on one's ability in the early part of it.
In fact, it's much better just to go Go on and keep doing it and do it because
you enjoy it and that it should be an exercise free of judgment, really, at first.
And certainly that will come as you become familiar with the materials and with
(23:02):
the outcome that you see you good at in some things and in others not so good.
You might do wonderful eyes, but you might have trouble with the nose or certain,
you know, perspectives on all things, not just faces.
And these are the classic elements of what all the great artists have dealt with in the past.
(23:30):
When you go to a museum, you'll see studies of balls, of balls of fruit,
which is basically forms.
And it's to get the eye used to seeing the world as this incredible universe
of forms and colors, textures.
Textures and to convey this in
(23:52):
with drawing media it's very magical it's
very amazing to see the transformation occur
and to witness it in others and to
see the achievement that's possible what's also happening at the same time is
your ability to discern and see things is is at such a deep level that you'll
(24:15):
you'll find that it helps you in other things also So in other subjects, even.
We have one final question from a social worker who asks, in what ways can art
be a tool for healing and communication for individuals who struggle with verbal expression?
And how can we support them in finding their unique artistic voice?
(24:35):
It's a big question. And it's a big question to explain art.
Condition for individuals who
suffer from extreme loneliness
or a type of of
remove they're at
a remove from society from their peers from what they think they should be doing
(25:01):
so that it becomes but it should be a place where it's a non-judgmental arena
of investigation interrogation and fun.
It should be basically whatever you want it to be.
And also that if it doesn't say anything in particular, that's fine too.
(25:25):
We live in this modern world we live in where we've already had a hundred years
of many art forms that have included subject matter that's It's incomprehensible.
It's abstract, so to speak.
And there are different kinds of abstraction. But abstraction,
much like music, can convey feelings and emotions that are very deep and profound.
(25:51):
But they don't convey them in ways that lead to words necessarily.
And they don't need to, to be successful. In fact, sometimes that's the point,
is that you're moved by the form, you're moved by the colors,
you're moved by the possibility of the unexpected.
(26:12):
Unexpected it's very exciting it can
be frightening for some but i think that
for people who are searching in their
lives and feel very alone in
that search art can be a very interesting healing
journey to take and again i say that that the coast is clear and and the medium
(26:37):
is utterly open to whatever it is you want to give to the surface to express yourself.
That's the beauty of it, is that it is as open as you are.
And some great things can be discovered while one is young to encourage you to keep going.
It can be your own private thing that you do. It can be as little as doodles
(27:01):
in the margin of some notes that you're taking, hopefully not Not in a way that
you're paying attention in class,
but there's, I had a professor that used to draw circles, for example.
That was his doodle, was drawing perfect circles.
So I'm speaking as a teacher now. Also, I recognize, but.
(27:24):
What I'm encouraging all of the people who step to art in a first sense,
who maybe are feeling let down by other aspects of their lives,
is to let art please you first in the simplest of ways.
What's your favorite color? Start with that color.
(27:46):
How many different kinds of green can you find?
What does green lead to as a color? Does it lead to blue? What does it lead
to in the other direction?
In the world of optics, for example, it's magical, because the world of light
is different from the terrestrial world of color.
And it's something that you can go as deep as you want,
(28:11):
or you can enjoy just the sheer beauty of the color as you might the smell of
a rose or the beauty of a horse or a creature.
Well, Peter, it's such a privilege to be able to sit here with you and to introduce
you to listeners and to begin this wonderful journey on the Intentional Expressions
(28:35):
podcast to explore not only your experience and insight and wisdom,
wisdom, but to learn some real tangible and interesting ways to express ourselves with intention.
Among the very diverse landscape of people and problems and situations that we're in.
And thank you so much for having me here to do that with you.
(28:57):
Do you have any final thoughts on yourself and your background or expression
or any words for your listeners before we wrap up this first episode? I would say that.
I would want people to recognize that I remain as optimistic as I was at the beginning of my career.
(29:20):
I believe in the resilience of people,
especially people who have gone through a great deal of hardship,
whether they're children or whether people have made horrible mistakes in their
lives for which they're paying in the criminal sense.
Or through illness what have you there
(29:42):
are all kinds of circumstances in the world many of
which are are not that there's no no fault of anyone's that they find themselves
in this situation but art can be with you at any time in your life it's as simple
as a pencil and in a piece of paper,
(30:03):
it can be, of course, as complicated and as fantastical as Disneyland.
But it is also humble, modest.
It is reachable at every level, at every age, and you don't need a ticket to take the ride.
(30:24):
All you need is your own curiosity curiosity, and interest in doing so.
And I encourage everyone to try it. And because it's a form of meditation also,
that's an active sort of meditation that we can get into at another time.
Thank you so much, Peter. And to our listeners for joining us today for this
(30:48):
first episode of the Intentional Expressions podcast.
Our theme for our next episode will be communicating with intention and understanding,
an especially important topic in today's divided America at this time of year,
in this particular moment in history, definitely something to keep in mind.
And we could all learn how to do that a little better.
(31:11):
So please leave a comment on this episode and let Peter know what your questions are.
It doesn't matter what it is or how old you are or what kind of work you do.
Throw your questions out there and Peter will address them after we go through
his views on this topic for our next episode.
Peter Karpu has spent decades supporting youth and vulnerable populations through
(31:32):
arts education and advocacy.
Listen in on our next episode as we invite you to learn how you can express yourself.
Music.
You're moved by the form, you're
moved by the colors, you're moved by the possibility of the unexpected.
It's very exciting. It can be frightening for some.
But I think that for people who are searching in their lives and feel very alone
in that search, art can be a very interesting healing journey to take.
(00:24):
The coast is clear and the medium is utterly open to whatever it is you want
to give to the surface to express yourself.
That's the beauty of it, is that it is as open as you are.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Intentional Expressions podcast with host
(00:45):
Peter Karpu, helping you rethink, create, and empower through the social impact
of artistic expression.
Today's first episode introduces you, the listener, to Peter,
who's here with us, I'm not Peter, along with a glimpse into the stories,
humor, and insight that is yet to come in future episodes.
My name is James Dykeman, and I will be prompting our discussion today,
(01:07):
and I'd like to introduce Peter
Karpu. So hello, Peter, and thank you for having me here with you today.
Hello, James. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you for starting this podcast.
So let's begin by introducing yourself. And I understand that you have a quote
that you'd like to share to kick off this inaugural first episode of your podcast.
(01:27):
Yes, thank you. I wish to start off with a quote that came about when I was
starting my work as a choice of staying in the Bay Area and at the time working
with inmates in correctional settings,
which was a job for me, but also I was intrigued by how different a job it was
(01:52):
at that time. I didn't know anyone who did that.
And it was a choice over moving back to New York and again, during a gallery that had accepted me.
So it was a very big decision for me to make. but I felt.
Committed to the people with whom I had already started to work with.
(02:17):
And their lives touched me at the outset.
And at the beginning, there was someone that I was, I would call her my mentor.
Her name was Linnell Herrick.
And she had taught art at San Quentin State Prison for 15 years.
And she was in her 60s at the time.
(02:37):
This was over 30 years ago.
So 35 years ago.
And between classes, we were in a parking lot of the prison due to how they do things there.
And she handed me this poem by Thomas Merton. And she said, Peter,
I want you to read this poem.
(02:58):
I think you would like this. And I think it's something that will also be useful for you.
So it was an intriguing thing for her to do that.
And I like to read it now because I think it gets at the heart of what I faced
eventually and what turned out to be my career as an artist and a professional teacher,
(03:23):
but also a child care worker, somebody who worked with young people, children,
also inmates in a male correctional setting.
And the range was broad. So this is a letter to a young activist from Thomas Merton,
who was a renowned monk and a very thoughtful poet, and someone who was also
(03:49):
something of a renegade, given the order that he had committed himself to,
and friend with a lot of the leading thinkers and spiritual leaders of the time.
Do not depend on the hope of results.
When you are doing the sort of work that you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work,
(04:10):
you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and
even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect.
As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on
the results, but on the value, the truth of the work itself.
(04:32):
And there too, a great deal has to be gone through as gradually you struggle
less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people.
The range tends to narrow down, but it gets much more real.
In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.
(04:53):
The big results are not in your hands or mine, but they can suddenly happen
and we can share in them but there is no point in building our lives on this
personal satisfaction which may be denied us and which after all is not that important,
For me, this was in line with, she was a practitioner of Aikido, a second Don.
(05:18):
As old as she was, she was gifted in many areas.
And for me, it took years of thinking about this poem.
I think it has to do with humility and art and thoughtful work with others and
a kind of selflessness that is a practice. this.
(05:39):
It's not something that is void of movement, motion, and interaction with others.
It can be rather all of that.
Tell our listeners a little bit more about your background. I know you just
now mentioned briefly your work
within the correction system and as a professional teacher with the arts.
(06:02):
Could you tell us a little bit more about that? Yes, I started working with
inmates at a correctional setting near Watsonville,
and it was what's considered a minimum security correctional setting where people
were not there for serious, serious crimes,
but they were there for breaking the law and would do their time and would be released.
(06:28):
Or it was for people who were on their way out of the system,
who had already done a great deal of time and were now, by virtue of their conduct,
in a place where they had more privilege, I would say.
Whereas when I transferred to San Quentin at the time, there were no supermax
(06:49):
prisons, so it was a very different situation.
So I had to learn what that was as a Max A level four institution where everyone
in the prison at that time was in for the worst of crimes and murder.
So I had to recognize that, but also search for the humanity in the place that
(07:17):
I could fit in to Emilio and be of some value to the inmates, what I was offering.
And now I was challenged by a guard early on in a jocular way, but it was a challenge.
He asked me why waste time on individuals, many of whom were going to be executed soon.
(07:38):
And my retort was that if they were spending time doing something positive and useful.
That would keep them from doing more harm while inside against someone there.
Isn't that worth it? And it was something of a clever answer,
but it was also true for what could it could have value, not just for the inmates,
(08:05):
but also for the custody staff.
And one had to be mindful of everyone.
Everyone and that's what I became understanding of
is that I was not an advocate for just one
group of people I had to be an advocate for everyone
I had to be in some ways a peacekeeper I suppose although that wasn't my role
(08:26):
but through art I think I was given an opportunity to share the joy I have in
art and the way that it can deflect time through one's own involvement with
one's imagination or appreciation of nature,
as much of it as you can appreciate, that is, given the circumstances.
(08:49):
At the same time, I was working with young children, latency age,
so-called 5 to 12 years old, children who had no homes or their homes were dangerous
places for them because of the conduct of the parents or their inability to
take care of the children for their own personal reasons.
So they were in residential treatment. And I learned how to work with children who had such issues,
(09:17):
but also learned how art could be a part of their lives in a way that they would
enjoy what they were doing.
And I had them printmaking, for example, which was fun for them,
and the next level up from drawing.
And also took them to museums and was involved with them,
(09:39):
enjoying the arts while they were at their placement area, but also taking them
out in the public so they could feel a part of the public.
For those looking for more information on a non-profit organization they can
support, helping kids and families who support them to express themselves through
art, visit www.kidsandart.org.
(10:03):
Kids and Art programs are offered directly to patient families as well as through
care centers and works with professional artists to design art experiences,
tailor projects and workshops to the unique needs and circumstances of children
facing serious illness.
That's also what I wanted the arts to represent was that it wasn't just for
(10:29):
the wealthy or those who had an education of privilege, but that it was for everyone.
And the proof in that is to utilize it.
And the starting place is one's own imagination.
And fortifying that idea and reiterating it through the opportunity to work
(10:51):
doing art was something that was important.
I was also a childcare worker, and I'm proud to say I learned a great deal working
as a childcare worker as well as an artist.
And so it helped me help the program that I was trying to engage the youth with,
(11:11):
but also helped me with the kids in a way that was therapeutic,
because I wanted to be a part of the solution of helping these young children.
Have their lives improve for them, and that also they're actors in their own
improvement, and they're even as young as they were,
that the volition to effort to do better, to live better.
(11:40):
To control one's emotions, and to find balance in life is something we do at a young age.
Without support, though, it's very hard to know what those things are.
And also, I would say that the keystone for my experience was working with adolescents,
(12:00):
which happened downtown San Francisco at a youth center where the youths were
homeless or without a home or having to create their own home environment.
I learned a lot working with those young people who are also young adults and
also living with a great risk on the streets of our cities and and in our towns.
(12:29):
And I felt that it was in this experience, in the totality of these three different milieus.
That I was having an opportunity to find social value in arts also,
that it wasn't a walled-off exercise that was its own thing.
(12:52):
So the pleasure was
mine certainly and my goal was
to have children and young
people and adults recognize that
they could enjoy this as well let's
talk about intentional expressions and i can get a sense from listening to your
(13:12):
background and thank you so much for sharing it sounds like you've done a lot
of really important work with people at a very difficult time in their lives
and giving or being in a position to offer tools to help people express themselves,
even within such struggle, is remarkable.
And so let's talk about, for this podcast, what are intentional expressions
(13:36):
in your words and what can we look forward to in the future as we unpack that
in different ways in future episodes?
Thank you for asking the question. First of all, I think it's a very important
question. And I think in many ways, it will prove to be the heart of what this podcast will be about.
(13:56):
And I think that a way to paraphrase intentional expression is purposeful actions.
Easier to say than do, and also to recognize actions, expressions,
for example, in others, and how to encourage that, how we're encouraged by people
(14:20):
who are thoughtful in speech, as well as acts,
which is an act, speaking is an act, especially with children.
The words have tremendous power and even
when they don't fully understand necessarily what
the words are because they haven't used them in too many contexts
they'll understand by tone
(14:43):
of voice where these words are being used what they're being used for and the
the so that the aspect of it being intentional is that there's a certain amount
of care that's implied also So, again, very important for children.
They have to know that it's a safe thing to do.
(15:04):
But it's also true for adults.
In prison environment, one of the most important things to know is that you
always tell the truth, always.
And you never promise more than you can give. These things don't sound that
troubling for us on the outside, but inside a prison environment or an incarcerated environment,
(15:32):
those two rules to follow will keep you out of trouble and may save your life.
And intentional expressions, we
learn how to deliver them weighted with the proper level and measure so that
we can use this as a counterweight to speaking freely on difficult subjects
(15:58):
or challenging subjects without offending others.
But also how we can say a thing so that it's fairly said and that others can
appreciate it, which is hopefully what part of the calculation is for,
is to treat others, reach others with the hope of truly connecting,
(16:24):
using language to connect.
In fact, intentionality shows the heart of the matter for an individual.
And in some ways, it's felt as much as it is said.
So it's no more intelligence involved than the inclination and the desire to convey those feelings.
(16:52):
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for that introduction to yourself and your
work and the podcast itself.
It's going to be interesting to see how we unpack these different topics while
also learning more about how you've applied them in your professional experience
with those you've worked with.
And for our listeners, as we begin, the intention is that we'll spend each episode
(17:15):
diving into a particular topic in more depth.
And then the second half of that episode will be to answer questions that we've
received in advance from our listeners, from those in the community who want
to learn a little bit more depending on where it is they are in their life or
if they're a teacher or a parent.
And so to begin that for today, we've got some questions prepared in advance
(17:36):
on the topic of intentional expressions.
And the first one that we're going to ask Peter is from a teacher who says,
how can educators encourage students to explore and express their emotions through
art in a way that is both intentional and meaningful? Peter?
That's a good question to ask, James.
(17:58):
It's not an easy question to answer, but it's worthwhile because it's the challenge.
Whatever the topic is, really, for an educator is to encourage the students
to initiate the action of their own thought in the matter of learning something.
(18:18):
You have to be open to learn what it is you're studying.
And in the case of art, I would say studying nature is one outlet that is readily available.
It's why you'll see the classically, you'll see a setup and you'll see an individual
who is in the classic sense.
(18:42):
Standing as a model, for example, or a bowl of fruit.
These are all exercises to study light form, and they're very useful exercises,
and they seem to be not very complicated to understand.
And some may wonder what's the value in it.
(19:03):
Well, you're really looking at something.
You're peeling away all the layers of meaning until you get to the actual seeing
part, which is as free and open as you'll allow it.
And your response is where you get to represent what it is you're looking at.
(19:27):
Not being happy with the results is normal because it's just like learning how to ski at first.
It's not much fun and it's not too pretty. But if you stay with it,
you start to enjoy the process while you're learning how to do something that
ultimately will please you and others.
And also a very wonderful thing happens is that the degree of acuity in your
(19:54):
ability to look at things becomes very, very acute.
And you're seeing things at a deeper level. and
this can also be true in poetry with
language certainly with music with different sounds
it all it all seems to operate with the same principle of attention and again
intentionality with a with the attention and using the tools of the art so if
(20:21):
it's you know however that may be visual art, brushes, pencils,
music, instruments, and so on.
And as a teacher, introducing students to the elements that make the arts available
to the students is paramount.
And how they're incorporated into the milieu of where the students are, however old they are,
(20:49):
and how free they feel to use the instruments and explore their use should be
the point of the class, really.
It's an exercise in discovering the world, pretty much.
And the eyes are one element that we're using. We're also using touch.
(21:09):
We're using all of our senses if we're open to it.
Are you an adult struggling with how to communicate with other adults,
especially when in a conflict scenario? area.
Www.communityboards.org is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization,
(21:30):
one of the longest running in the country, that helps with conflict resolution
and restorative justice training and practice.
So if you're having difficulty getting through a conflict and would like some
assistance, this nonprofit organization is here to help.
Next question we have is from a young person, teenager, who wants to know,
(21:52):
how can I use art as a way to express what I'm feeling, especially when I find
it hard to talk about? What would you say to that young person?
This also is a very important question. It's often the teenage years where you'll
notice that the aspect of children just diving into a bowl of crayons,
(22:14):
it doesn't, that they're much more determined about what it is they want to
do and what will please them.
It's very normal in the development of adolescent years.
Everyone goes through it. And it's good to try to push past the self-indulgent
(22:36):
aspect of grading oneself on one's ability in the early part of it.
In fact, it's much better just to go Go on and keep doing it and do it because
you enjoy it and that it should be an exercise free of judgment, really, at first.
And certainly that will come as you become familiar with the materials and with
(23:02):
the outcome that you see you good at in some things and in others not so good.
You might do wonderful eyes, but you might have trouble with the nose or certain,
you know, perspectives on all things, not just faces.
And these are the classic elements of what all the great artists have dealt with in the past.
(23:30):
When you go to a museum, you'll see studies of balls, of balls of fruit,
which is basically forms.
And it's to get the eye used to seeing the world as this incredible universe
of forms and colors, textures.
Textures and to convey this in
(23:52):
with drawing media it's very magical it's
very amazing to see the transformation occur
and to witness it in others and to
see the achievement that's possible what's also happening at the same time is
your ability to discern and see things is is at such a deep level that you'll
(24:15):
you'll find that it helps you in other things also So in other subjects, even.
We have one final question from a social worker who asks, in what ways can art
be a tool for healing and communication for individuals who struggle with verbal expression?
And how can we support them in finding their unique artistic voice?
(24:35):
It's a big question. And it's a big question to explain art.
Condition for individuals who
suffer from extreme loneliness
or a type of of
remove they're at
a remove from society from their peers from what they think they should be doing
(25:01):
so that it becomes but it should be a place where it's a non-judgmental arena
of investigation interrogation and fun.
It should be basically whatever you want it to be.
And also that if it doesn't say anything in particular, that's fine too.
(25:25):
We live in this modern world we live in where we've already had a hundred years
of many art forms that have included subject matter that's It's incomprehensible.
It's abstract, so to speak.
And there are different kinds of abstraction. But abstraction,
much like music, can convey feelings and emotions that are very deep and profound.
(25:51):
But they don't convey them in ways that lead to words necessarily.
And they don't need to, to be successful. In fact, sometimes that's the point,
is that you're moved by the form, you're moved by the colors,
you're moved by the possibility of the unexpected.
(26:12):
Unexpected it's very exciting it can
be frightening for some but i think that
for people who are searching in their
lives and feel very alone in
that search art can be a very interesting healing
journey to take and again i say that that the coast is clear and and the medium
(26:37):
is utterly open to whatever it is you want to give to the surface to express yourself.
That's the beauty of it, is that it is as open as you are.
And some great things can be discovered while one is young to encourage you to keep going.
It can be your own private thing that you do. It can be as little as doodles
(27:01):
in the margin of some notes that you're taking, hopefully not Not in a way that
you're paying attention in class,
but there's, I had a professor that used to draw circles, for example.
That was his doodle, was drawing perfect circles.
So I'm speaking as a teacher now. Also, I recognize, but.
(27:24):
What I'm encouraging all of the people who step to art in a first sense,
who maybe are feeling let down by other aspects of their lives,
is to let art please you first in the simplest of ways.
What's your favorite color? Start with that color.
(27:46):
How many different kinds of green can you find?
What does green lead to as a color? Does it lead to blue? What does it lead
to in the other direction?
In the world of optics, for example, it's magical, because the world of light
is different from the terrestrial world of color.
And it's something that you can go as deep as you want,
(28:11):
or you can enjoy just the sheer beauty of the color as you might the smell of
a rose or the beauty of a horse or a creature.
Well, Peter, it's such a privilege to be able to sit here with you and to introduce
you to listeners and to begin this wonderful journey on the Intentional Expressions
(28:35):
podcast to explore not only your experience and insight and wisdom,
wisdom, but to learn some real tangible and interesting ways to express ourselves with intention.
Among the very diverse landscape of people and problems and situations that we're in.
And thank you so much for having me here to do that with you.
(28:57):
Do you have any final thoughts on yourself and your background or expression
or any words for your listeners before we wrap up this first episode? I would say that.
I would want people to recognize that I remain as optimistic as I was at the beginning of my career.
(29:20):
I believe in the resilience of people,
especially people who have gone through a great deal of hardship,
whether they're children or whether people have made horrible mistakes in their
lives for which they're paying in the criminal sense.
Or through illness what have you there
(29:42):
are all kinds of circumstances in the world many of
which are are not that there's no no fault of anyone's that they find themselves
in this situation but art can be with you at any time in your life it's as simple
as a pencil and in a piece of paper,
(30:03):
it can be, of course, as complicated and as fantastical as Disneyland.
But it is also humble, modest.
It is reachable at every level, at every age, and you don't need a ticket to take the ride.
(30:24):
All you need is your own curiosity curiosity, and interest in doing so.
And I encourage everyone to try it. And because it's a form of meditation also,
that's an active sort of meditation that we can get into at another time.
Thank you so much, Peter. And to our listeners for joining us today for this
(30:48):
first episode of the Intentional Expressions podcast.
Our theme for our next episode will be communicating with intention and understanding,
an especially important topic in today's divided America at this time of year,
in this particular moment in history, definitely something to keep in mind.
And we could all learn how to do that a little better.
(31:11):
So please leave a comment on this episode and let Peter know what your questions are.
It doesn't matter what it is or how old you are or what kind of work you do.
Throw your questions out there and Peter will address them after we go through
his views on this topic for our next episode.
Peter Karpu has spent decades supporting youth and vulnerable populations through
(31:32):
arts education and advocacy.
Listen in on our next episode as we invite you to learn how you can express yourself.
Music.
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